Gad 13

Tamar

Between 2924- 2925 AM, 1001-1000 BC

1Solomon was able to strengthen his kingdom, because

the LORD his God was with him, and greatly magnified

him. 2Later, David’s daughter, Tamar, sister of Absalom,

fled to the house of the king of Geshur, and she spent a

year and eight months in her mother’s home, which is in

the king’s palace. 3And King Solomon did not know that

she left, because she went secretly, and she concealed her

going not only from the king, but all the people as well.

4And King Solomon said: “I shall pay a reward of royal

clothes plus fifty shekels of gold to whoever finds Tamar,

the sister of my father, and brings her to me.” 5And the

king’s servants searched for her throughout all the land of

Israel, but they could not find her. 6And she was hiding at

her mother’s home in Geshur, at her grandfather’s [the

king] palace. 7And there was a friend of the king, whose

name was Pirshaz, and he lusted after the young woman

very much, for she was very beautiful and fair to look

upon.

8In those days the king of Geshur went to see King

Solomon, as all the kings of the land are required to do.

9King Solomon asked him, saying: “Is it well with you?”

and he said: “It is well.” 10And he said: “Is it well with

Maacah [Tamar’s mother] in your house?” And he said:

“It is well.” And then King Solomon cunningly asked: “Is

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it well with Tamar, my sister?” And he lied to him,

saying: “I do not know, for I have never met her.”

11And it came to pass when the king of Geshur was in

Jerusalem, his friend, Pirshaz, came to Tamar’s room,

saying to her: “Lie with me.” 12But Tamar refused him,

saying: “Let us not, my lord; do not do this indecent thing

to me, because I am a king’s daughter.” 13However he

would not listen to her, because he was burning with lust.

14And Tamar knew she was no match for this man, so she

cunningly said: “My lord, listen to the words of your

maidservant. 15Behold, I play the harp beautifully. First,

lie down at my knees and listen to my song. 16And after I

play the song of my heart, then I will do all your heart’s

desire.” And Pirshaz listened to Tamar, and he lay in her

bosom.

17And as Tamar took the harp and began to play

beautifully, she said in her heart: “LORD, king of my

father David, Your servant, 18send Your light and truth to

hold me, and do not allow this wicked, uncircumcised,

impure man to have his way with me. 19For You know

what is in my heart, so do not let this daughter of David,

Your servant, sin. 20My Father, my Father, my Father,

remember the disgrace of Your servant David, my father,

and your daughter’s disgrace. 21I go before El Shaddai’s

throne of glory, and ask mercy for myself, to the God of

Hosts to help me by His help. 22For He does not want

wicked men to triumph, and His desire is to help those

who have been robbed to overcome the strong. 23I beseech

You, O LORD, save me now. I beseech You, O LORD,

let me prosper. 24I call on You this day because I am

frightened; please answer me, and do not let this impure

man cause me to lose holy seed by this impure act, for

You are a holy God, and I trust You.”

25And the LORD heard the voice of David’s daughter, and

God caused Pirshaz to fall into a deep sleep. He fell

asleep on her bosom while she was playing the relaxing

sounds of the harp. 26And when Tamar saw that he had

fallen asleep, she unsheathed the sword that was girded

around his waist. 27And she said: “LORD of Hosts,

remember David my father, and sustain me with Your

strength like You did my father. 28Help me as You helped

[Jael] the wife of Heber the Kenite, to rid sins and sinners

from the earth, so all will know that You are the only

LORD.” 29And she took the sword and ran it through

Pirshaz’s heart, and Pirshaz fell to the ground dead.

30And Tamar saw that Pirshaz was dead and she cried

with a loud voice: “May all Your enemies and the

enemies of Your people perish this way, O LORD. 31And

now I have seen that You have heard my voice because of

my father. You have intervened to not allow his daughter

to be disgraced by this impure man. 32Blessed are You

from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.”

33At the time of the noon meal, Pirshaz’s servants came to

call their master to the king’s table. 34When they came to

the inner chamber, they found Tamar with his bloody

sword in her hand standing over the dead body of their

master Pirshaz. 35And they turned trembling to one

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another, saying: “What happened?” And they took Tamar

into custody and brought her to the king’s ministers.

36And the king’s servants said to Tamar: “What have you

done? You have killed the king’s friend. You know that

our master, the king will consider this a disgrace.” 37And

Tamar said: “Should one deal with a king’s daughter like

a harlot? His blood is upon his own head, and I will be

seen as guiltless and pure in the king’s eyes.” 38And they

took Tamar and put her in the hands of the warden of the

prison.

39And they sent a letter to their king who was still in

Jerusalem, by the hands of the couriers, that Tamar, the

king’s granddaughter had killed his friend, Pirshaz, and

that Tamar was sent to prison until the time the king

returned.

40And the couriers came to Jerusalem and King

Solomon’s guards stopped them. And he asked them:

“Where are you from?” 41And they said: “We come from

Geshur to bring letters to our master the king.” 42And the

guards seized them and brought them to King Solomon.

43And King Solomon said: “You came here to spy out the

land. Give me your king’s letters and I will see if you are

sinning against me or not.” 44And King Solomon took the

letters and gave them to the sons of Shisha, the king’s

scribes, to read. 45And they read through them and found

where Tamar had killed Pirshaz and that she was in

prison. 46And King Solomon called Ahishar, who was

head of the household, and said: “Put these uncircumcised

men in jail, and bring the king of Geshur to me.” 47And he

did exactly as he had been commanded. And the king of

Geshur was brought before King Solomon and he bowed

his head toward the ground. 48And King Solomon said:

“Why have you deceived me, lying, while Tamar my

sister was with you? You told me that you had never met

her in your entire life. 49As the LORD lives, who has

redeemed David, my father, out of all evil, this very day

you will die.” 50And King Solomon called Benaiah, the

son of Jehoiada, and said to him: “Go, and execute the

king of Geshur and his couriers.” And he executed them,

and they all died, because they had lied to King Solomon.

51And they buried them in a cave right before the Fish

Gate. 52This is why the name of the cave right before the

Fish Gate is the called Cave of the Uncircumcised Ones,

unto this day.

53And Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and ten

thousand valiant men of Judah with him, and he said to

them: 54“Go to Geshur and bring back Tamar, my father’s

daughter, with you, and destroy the royal palace, but be

careful not to harm Tamar’s mother, for she was King

David’s wife.” 55And they went and did all that King

Solomon had commanded, and they brought Tamar before

King Solomon.

56And Tamar bowed down to the ground, before the king,

and said: “Let my lord the king, my brother, live forever.”

57And King Solomon asked her: “Why did you flee to

Geshur?” 58And she answered: “I was living in my

brother Absalom’s home, disgraced because of what my

brother Amnon had done to me, and I decided to go to my

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mother’s house so I would not be disgraced in the eyes of

the princes there. 59And King Solomon asked her: “Why

did you kill Pirshaz?” And she answered: “This is what

that uncircumcised one did to me, and this is what I did to

him in revenge.” 60And King Solomon said: “The LORD

has truly blessed you with discretion. You were wise, and

acted, and you were victorious.”

61Then King Solomon spoke openly to all of his servants,

saying: “Has anyone found such a charming and heroic

woman?” And he said: “Daughter, God is gracious unto

you. 62From this day forward you shall not be called my

sister, but my daughter, because you were extremely

wise.” 63And King Solomon gave his daughter Tamar to

Abinadab’s son to be his wife, and she found grace in her

husband’s eyes, and he loved her very much. 64He was an

officer over all the region of Dor. 65And King Solomon

renamed Tamar his daughter Taphath, for stacte, the first

of the incense, and this was her name the rest of her life